Hour of the Wolf
by Rainack
Summary: Nick's and Greg's ability to shape shift into wolves gets them kidnaped by the military. Will they be able to escape and go back to their lives? Nick/Greg slash. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything relating to CSI. I only own the idea for this story.

Please enjoy, and be sure and hit that little button at the bottom of the screen to tell me what you think.

Hour of the Wolf

The lone wolf's howl reverberated through the Nevada desert. Only ever one, no matter how he longed for companions, a pack. His ears swivelled, ever vigilant for the responding howl that never came.

Only tonight, there was a response. An equally long, low, lonely howl replied.

Heart soaring with joy, he howled again, this one full of hope and yearning. His wish to meet the other wolf.

The answering howl spoke of sorrow at the lateness of the night. Disappointed, but full of hope for a future meeting, he turned and headed back in the direction he'd traveled this night.

Muscles bunched and flexed under brindled fur, as his paws took ground eating strides, his front and back legs scissoring back and forth nearly too fast for the eye to see. His tongue – lolling out of his mouth – whipped back by the wind of his passing, ear tips flapping up and down.

Amber eyes amplified what ambient light there was, allowing the wolf to see his surroundings in stark relief.

Dodging cactus and brush, jumping shallow gullies, scaring up desert hare and other wildlife, he raced across the desert floor under a blanket of stars. His heart flew somewhere miles above him at the thought that there might actually be someone else out there like him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nick Stokes stretched languidly, relishing the way his muscles felt after the run he'd taken the night before. It was Thursday morning, and he had to work tonight, so he'd just crawled into bed after a hot shower, but he found he wasn't quite ready to sleep.

Thought of what he'd heard – out there in the desert – kept coming back to him. That low, haunting howl that told him he wasn't alone in the Vegas area after all.

He was a shape shifter, a human who could turn into a wolf at will. His entire life, he'd only known one other, his older sister, Samantha. She hadn't even told him, he'd found out by accident shortly after he'd hit puberty and changed for the first time himself.

They'd kept it from their parents, scared of their reaction. It was bad enough when their parents found out Nick was bi. Nick suspected Samantha was too, but she'd done what she knew their parents would want and gotten married. He didn't think Samantha had any true feelings for the man, as Nick himself had never felt any true attraction to a human, but he left her to live her life. In fact, he'd left Texas just the year before, moving to Las Vegas to escape his parents' judgement.

Nick just hoped whoever the other wolf was would be out there again. He wouldn't have any more time to go out again until his next days off, now. This week was going to pass _very_ slowly.

Forcing himself to close his eyes, Nick tried to calm his mind for sleep.

It was now late Thursday night, soon to be very early Friday morning, and Nick was walking into the Las Vegas Crime Lab, where he worked.

Stopping in at his supervisor's office, he said, "Hey, Brass. Got anything for me?"

"Not yet, kid. Why don't you go introduce yourself to the new DNA tech," Jim Brass, the graveyard shift supervisor replied. He was dressed in his usual suit, and was sitting behind his desk, looking over a case file.

"Sure thing!" the Texan replied, an easy smile on his face, and a spring in his step.

Walking down the hall a ways, Nick stopped outside the DNA lab to watch the new tech for a moment.

Being a wolf, he liked to know if he was dealing with a fellow predator, or potential prey, when he met someone new.

The man in the lab was rearranging a shelf of supplies, presumably putting things where he could more easily find them. He moved with the grace of a wolf, so Nick decided this man was a fellow predator.

Knocking on the door frame, Nick finally moved into the lab. Within a few steps, he got his first whiff of the other man's scent, and stopped cold.

By this time, the DNA tech had straightened and turned to face Nick, a smile fading from his face as he got his own whiff of Nick's scent.

Shaking his head, trying to keep himself under control, Nick gestured to the door and said, "Mind if I..."

"No. Go ahead," the other man seemed to understand the unfinished sentence.

Taking a couple of stiff steps farther into the lab, Nick pulled the door stop and closed the door, then leaned back on it heavily. He noticed the other man had backed up against one of the glass tables.

"I'm Nick Stokes," Nick started, wanting to make a friend, not an enemy of the other shape shifter.

"Greg Sanders."

"You were... you were in the desert last night," Nick said.

"Yeah, that was me." Greg ran a hand through his crazily highlighted and spiked hair, a shy smile spreading across his face.

Nick pushed himself away from the door, slowly approaching the younger man, suddenly desperate for another whiff of his tantalizing scent.

After a few steps, he was standing in front of Greg, his eyes closed as he breathed in deeply. He had to keep a tight rein on the wolf inside. The wolf demanded they fight for dominance, here, now. There could be only one alpha male in a pack.

Opening his eyes again, Nick saw that Greg had a death grip on the edge of the table.

"You feel it, too. The need to establish the hierarchy of our pack, don't you."

Not trusting himself to speak with Nick so near, Greg nodded. His nostrils were flared, as he took deep breaths of Nick's scent.

"When's your day off?" Nick asked. He wanted to plant his hands, palms down on the table to either side of the younger man, tower over him, dominate him, but instead, he backed away so Greg could speak.

"Tuesday and Wednesday," Greg said, after pulling in a ragged breath.

"Perfect!" Grabbing a piece of note paper off of Greg's desk, Nick drew a quick map with some directions to the deserted dirt road he always left his truck at when he went for a run. "Meet me here, Tuesday, just after the sun's fully set."

Leaving the directions on Greg's desk, Nick let out a low growl, deep in his chest, then opened the door and walked out.

As he walked away, Nick realized he had another problem. His pants had become uncomfortably tight across the crotch.

Never in his twenty-seven years had Nick reacted to a human the way he had reacted to Greg. Sure, he'd have sex with humans – both women and men – to gain the sexual release he periodically needed, but he had never felt true desire for anyone.

On his way toward the break room, his pager went off. Glancing at it, he saw it was a 911 page from Brass.

Knowing he had to get rid of his hard-on in a hurry, Nick thought to himself, _Think of Ecklie in a Speedo!_ He very carefully constructed the mental image of the balding Conrad Ecklie in a skimpy men's swimsuit, and was nearly instantly rewarded with the loosening of his pants.

This was going to be a long week if he couldn't figure out a way to avoid Greg. Otherwise, the risk was just too great that they would shift right there in the lab and fight over which would be alpha male, then do who knew what else. They had to safeguard their secret at all costs.

The rest of the week passed slowly, but relatively uneventfully.

Nick made sure that whomever he was partnered with – be it Brass, Grissom, Warrick, or Catherine – one of them took in any samples to DNA. Grissom was too obtuse to realize Nick was avoiding the DNA tech. Brass didn't seem to care, as long as work got done. Warrick figured there must have been something about Greg that Nick didn't like. Catherine was the only one that really tried to call him on it, but he brushed her off.

Tuesday, Nick spent on household chores, as he found he couldn't sleep.

He'd never truly been part of a pack before, even if it would only be him and Greg. There really hadn't been any question of them becoming a pack. You get two or more wolves together in the same place, and you have a pack.

Nick just wasn't sure if Greg was attracted to him or not. He thought that was what he was the most nervous about. _I can handle not being alpha male, just please, let Greg feel the same desire for me that I'm feeling for him._ He'd had to be very careful about when he allowed himself to think of the other shape shifter, as he'd end up so hard it hurt.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nick was leaning against the fender of his truck, one foot resting on the tire behind him, when Greg pulled his SUV up beside him.

"Wow, this place is the ass end of nowhere," Greg commented as he climbed out of his vehicle.

"Well, when you're going to leave your keys, wallet, and clothes in your car to go running, you want to know it'll all be here when you get back," Nick laughed, already pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it into his truck. The rest of his clothes and shoes followed a moment later.

Loping a few paces from the vehicles, he shifted mid stride, then turned to wait for Greg.

Greg's breath caught in his throat at the sight of the wolf before him. The brindled wolf was massive, larger than regular wolves. Fur a mixture of black and browns, and amber eyes glinting in the evening light.

Stripping quickly, Greg shifted, so now a large gray and white wolf stood several paces away from the large brindled wolf.

Looking into Greg's eyes to initiate a telepathic link, Nick said, _Ready?_

_Lead on,_ Greg responded.

The brindled wolf leapt away, setting a quick pace to their destination.

The two wolves covered several miles in two hour's time, so by the time Nick slowed to a stop, they were surrounded by desert as far as the eye could see.

Safely into the wilderness, the two began to circle each other, teeth bared, hackles raised, growls emanating from deep within broad lupine chests.

In wolf form, they still maintained much of their human reasoning, but there was enough of the animal there, that they had to heed nature's call for dominance.

Both wolves were roughly the same size and weight, making this match more about cunning than strength.

Nick lunged forward, feigning a frontal assault, which he changed at the last moment. He spun, sending himself skidding into Greg's side, trying to push the younger wolf off balance with weight and inertia.

It might have worked, too, if Greg hadn't leapt into the air like a jack rabbit at the last second. Instead, it was Nick who was thrown off balance, landing heavily on his side.

Greg tried to lunge in and nip at Nick's vulnerable underbelly, but Nick growled and snapped at him, jumping back to his feet.

Snapping his jaws, Nick lunged at Greg, trying to throw his entire body weight onto the younger wolf.

Greg met Nick's lunge with one of his own.

Front paws raked down ribs, dislodging clumps of fur from both wolves.

Bared teeth reached for exposed throats.

Greg's muzzle connected solidly with the side of Nick's head, dazing Nick, who fell heavily onto all four paws.

Spinning, Greg threw his front paws across Nick's back, grabbing a mouth full of scruff and setting his teeth hard enough to make Nick whine.

Shaking with all his might, Nick tried to dislodge the younger wolf, but Greg was relentless. Snarling, Nick tried to reach Greg with his teeth, but Greg was just out of reach.

_Submit!_ Greg snarled in his mind, and Nick knew it was done. Greg was alpha. Having established their pack, they would no longer have to look in each other's eyes to establish a telepathic link. The link would remain active in human form, as well.

Laying down in the sand, Nick put his head on his paws until Greg released him, then rolled over to show his underbelly to his alpha in submission.

Their pack hierarchy firmly established, the pair loped deeper into the desert, Greg in the lead. Their joyful howls filled the night.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A little action from our two favorite guys. Don't like don't read. Hope this chapter meets everyone's expectations. I had a really hard time writing it for some reason.

Chapter 4

They returned to their vehicles just before sunrise, and were fully dressed as the first rays of sunshine peeked over the eastern mountains.

Pressing Nick up against the side of his truck, Greg leaned against him, dominating him, "Follow me home. Stay with me."

Nick's heart sped up at the look of hunger in Greg's eyes. Swallowing nervously, Nick nodded, then snaked his arms around Greg's waist.

Greg pressed himself more firmly against Nick, eliciting a whine from the older man as their arousals rubbed through their jeans.

Gently pulling away, Greg whispered, "I'll see you at home," and let a wide smile play over his features as he went to the driver's side of his SUV.

Frustration and excitement racing through him, Nick got in his own truck, and started it up while he waited for Greg to pull onto the dirt road so he could follow his pack mate home.

The hour and a half ride back into Vegas seemed to last forever. For the first time in his life, Nick felt as if he belonged. He felt connected. He would never make this trip alone again.

Greg's apartment wasn't what Nick had been expecting. It had started life as a warehouse, but someone had decided it should house people instead of wares, so it had been renovated.

Split into two floors, the first floor had four apartments, but the top floor was one wide open apartment. The space was huge.

The kitchen – where the entrance door was located – had all the modern amenities, including a long breakfast bar that also served to cut the space off from the living area.

The living area had a large entertainment center covering the wall. A sectional sofa helped cut off the living area further from the kitchen. The sixty inch LCD screen in the entertainment center had to have set Greg back a pretty penny, as the flat screen technology was still relatively new to the market.

A small dojo was the next space in the apartment. There was a set of weights, but most of the space was set up for cardio fitness or martial arts training, with rubber mats covering the floor.

The last space in the apartment was where Nick found himself being pulled towards. It was the one space that seemed to be fully cut off from the rest of the apartment. Upon entering, Nick could see why. The bedroom was fully enclosed, no outside light leaking in except around the door.

The only furniture in the room was the bed, which sat on the floor in a corner. An alarmclock was plugged in nearby. Two other doors lead out of the bedroom, presumably to the closet and bathroom.

Nick looked at Greg, one eyebrow slightly raised at the Spartan state of the room.

"Makes it feel more like a den," Greg shrugged, then grabbed Nick's belt loops and pulled him into a kiss. Nick's lips parted, allowing Greg's questing tongue entry to his mouth.

Reaching for Greg's belt, Nick fumbled with it for a moment, before managing to get the buckle loose. Next, Nick pulled loose the buttons of Greg's jeans one by one, feeling the bulge of Greg's erection, straining to be free. Greg moaned in pleasure as Nick's fingers brushed across his heated flesh.

Greg pushed Nick's shirt up over his head, hands running over the older man's toned chest.

Pulling Greg's shirt off over his head, Nick's hands wandered over Greg's chest down to his hips, where they gently began pushing down Greg's jeans and briefs.

Kneeling in front of Greg, Nick felt Greg's fingers tangle in his hair, as his mouth surrounded Greg's length in warmth. He lapped a few drops of spicy pre-cum from the head of Greg's cock, causing the younger man to shiver in delight.

Humming deep in his chest, as he took Greg fully into his mouth, Nick reveled in the moans he elicited from his alpha.

Opening his mind to Greg, Nick allowed his lover to experience their love making from his own perspective. He was rewarded when he felt himself pushed backwards, onto the bed. He felt his own jeans and boxer briefs being stripped away.

Then Greg was looming over him, a feral, hungry look in his eyes, as he lubed up his fingers from a tube he'd had stashed under a pillow.

Greg pressed a finger gently into Nick's tight entrance as he teased Nick's hard length with his tongue.

Gasping in pleasure, Nick arched his back, pushing himself closer to the younger man.

Slowly enveloping the head of Nick's pulsing cock in his mouth, Greg added another finger, scissoring the two in and out of Nick.

A small, breathless scream of ecstacy escaped Nick.

_Greg, please!_ Nick pleaded, feeling sure he'd die of the pleasure if he wasn't brought over the brink soon.

_I don't want to hurt you,_ Greg admonished gently.

_I've waited for you for so long! I don't think I can wait any longer! I need you!_

A low growl issued from Greg's chest, warning Nick that he was close to a harsher admonishment.

Beyond caring if he got in trouble with his alpha, Nick poured his desperate need through the link, trying to push Greg to the same desperation.

Greg's growl turned to a snarl as he pulled away from Nick's arousal. He nipped Nick's inner thigh with his teeth, hard enough to bruise, but not break skin.

The yelp Nick let out told Greg that the older man acknowledged that he'd been in the wrong. The nearly whispered, "I'm sorry," nearly broke Greg's heart. His own need was just as great as Nick's, but he fought to keep it under control so he wouldn't hurt Nick. He'd nearly lost that control when Nick had pushed his need through the link.

Gently kissing the spot he'd bitten, Greg slowly worked his way back up Nick's body, until he was looking in Nick's chocolate brown eyes.

Tracing a finger down Nick's cheek to his jaw, Greg spoke softly, "I want you so badly, I can barely breathe!" With a soft laugh, he said, "Every time I thought of you last week, I'd get so hard, it hurt."

Nick sent Greg images of failed cold showers, and how he fantasized of Greg while he worked himself over with his own hands. "Do you believe in soul mates and love at first sight?" he asked quietly, as Greg closed his eyes and moaned.

Pulling away from Nick – causing the older man to begin to panic at the thought that he'd scared Greg off – Greg growled, "Roll over," as he searched around under his pillow.

Finally finding what he'd been looking for, Greg pulled his hand out, revealing a wrapped condom.

A relieved sigh escaped Nick, as he rolled onto his stomach, legs spread to give Greg room.

Tearing open the wrapper with his teeth, Greg pulled the condom free and quickly pushed it onto his throbbing erection. Retrieving the lube, he applied a thick coat, then tossed the tube aside.

Positioning himself at Nick's entrance, he slowly pushed himself in, until he was buried to the hilt. He rested on his forearms, allowing Nick's body to acclimate to his intrusion.

Ghosting his lips over the muscled back beneath him, Greg opened his mind to Nick, allowing the older man to feel what he was feeling.

Nick's body shuddered at the pleasure of the dual perspective, ramping his arousal up even higher.

Greg still hadn't moved since he'd pushed into Nick. Nick mewled with need, pushing himself closer to Greg, begging him to move. Then Greg was moving, rocking into Nick, hitting that little bundle of nerves that sent him reeling, screaming hoarsely.

Raising his body up a little, Nick grasped himself, pumping to Greg's rhythm.

Greg could sense Nick's eminent release through their link, and growled at him, _Not yet! Just a little longer!_

_Greg!_ Nick was desperate, reaching critical mass. Not wanting to get in trouble again, he held back as long as he could.

Then Greg shuddered, as he reached his release, and cried out, _Now!_

And Nick allowed his own orgasm to rock through him, made all the more powerful by their telepathic connection. Nick's seed filled his hand, as Greg's filled the condom.

Kissing the nape of Nick's neck, Greg pulled carefully away. Nick rolled onto his side, getting ready to sit up. Greg grabbed Nick's cum covered hand, bringing it up to his face. He took a deep breath of Nick's sex scent, then lapped up every last drop, his eyes locked on Nick's.

The look of total possession in Greg's eyes made Nick whine with pleasure.

Leaning forward, Greg kissed Nick, then said, "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Nick nodded, and watched Greg's lithe body as the younger man went into the bathroom to dispose of the condom and clean up.

When Greg returned, he crawled under the covers, and sighed in satisfied contentment. Pulling Nick against him, Greg felt his eyelids getting heavy. The last thing Greg remembered before sleep claimed him, was Nick's face nuzzling into his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nick's nose alerted him to the presence of coffee several hours later.

Opening his eyes cautiously, he feared finding the previous night's escapades had been nothing more than a dream. His heart soared at the realization that he was in Greg's bed in his den-like bedroom.

Pulling on his boxer briefs, Nick wandered through the immense apartment to the kitchen.

Greg – dressed in a pair of silk pajama bottoms – held a cup of coffee in one hand and a spatula in the other. He used the spatula to flip over several eggs in the skillet on the stove.

"Coffee cups are in the cabinet over there," he pointed with the spatula without turning from his task. "Breakfast will be ready in a minute." He sent a mental caress through the link.

"The coffee smells heavenly. What is it?" Nick asked, as he moved to the cabinet containing the cups. He didn't comment on Greg's near superhuman hearing – Nick had made next to no noise walking in from the bedroom – because his own hearing was just as acute.

"It's premium stuff. Blue Hawaiian. Forty dollars a pound and worth every dollar," Greg replied as he scooped several eggs onto each of the two plates he'd taken out.

Taking a cautious sip of the hot liquid, Nick made an appreciative noise in the back of his throat. Sitting down in the chair Greg motioned him to, Nick waited for Greg to sit down and dig into his eggs before starting on his own. As alpha male, it was Greg's right to start eating first.

"So, what brought you out to Vegas?" Nick asked, breaking their companionable silence.

"I wanted to work at one of the country's top crime labs. And I wanted room to run," Greg replied, pausing with a fork full of eggs halfway to his mouth to look over at Nick. "Never thought I'd find another shape shifter out here. How long have you been here? You're from Texas, right?"

"Yeah, I needed to get away from the family name. I've been here a couple of years. I was a cop in Dallas before I became a criminalist. I've been out here about a year now."

"Which of your relatives is a shifter?" Greg asked, as he began to clean up their breakfast dishes.

"One of my older sisters. No one else in my family knows. I don't think they'd understand. How about you?"

"My mom. My dad knows about us, but he's it." Greg carried his refilled coffee mug into the living area, Nick following behind him. "Whole reason I went into DNA was I thought I might take a look at mine, someday. Find out what makes me a shape shifter."

"Have you looked at it?" Nick asked curiously, as he settled on the couch with his legs drawn up beneath him.

"Nah. Scared of what I might see. Also scared of someone else getting their hands on it, I guess."

They sat in silence for several minutes, sipping at their coffee.

"I really like your place," Nick broke the silence first.

Looking into Nick's eyes, Greg replied, "It's not just my place, anymore." Backing up the spoken words, Nick heard, _Stay!_

That night, they drove out to the desert together, for another long run.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Before going into work the next night, Nick stopped by his apartment to shower and change, as well as pick up some things he'd be needing at his new home.

At work that night, Brass sent Nick and Warrick out on a four twenty, homicide, call.

The cloying smell of blood hung heavy in the house as Warrick and Nick walked carefully inside.

Detective O'Riley was waiting for them in the front entrance, his notebook open in his hand.

"Decedent's name is Cassie Barnett. Neighbors heard a fight and called it in. The husband, Larry Barnett, has a history of domestic violence. By the time unis arrived, she was dead and he was gone. We've already got an APB out on him."

"Thanks, O'Riley. Is Super Dave here yet?" Nick said, pulling a pair of gloves from a pocket on his vest. Warrick was doing the same.

"Body's in the livingroom. Dave's waiting for you."

Both men moved cautiously into the small livingroom, trying to avoid stepping in any potential evidence.

Dave was crouched beside the body of Cassie Barnett, checking her liver temperature for time of death.

"What have you got for us, Dave?" Warrick asked, crouching down across the body from the assistant coroner.

"Liver temp suggests TOD at two hours, give or take," Dave began, as he pulled the thermometer out of the dead woman's side.

"COD?" Nick asked, though he could make a guess of his own based on the condition of the body and the amount of blood spatter and cast off in the room.

"Looks like multiple blunt force trauma to the head and upper body. Dr. Robbins will have more for you at post." Holding up one of the dead woman's hands, he continued, "She fought back. Defensive wounds on both hands."

"Looks like she may have scratched her attacker," Nick commented, his better than human eyesight having picked up tissues under the woman's fingernails.

Squinting at the woman's fingernails, Dave said, "Huh. I think you may be right."

Pulling a few items from his kit, Nick took scrapings from under the dead woman's nails.

Due to the sheer brutality of the woman's murder, it took Nick and Warrick nearly four hours to process the scene. The coppery smell of blood seemed to wedge itself permanently in Nick's sensitive nose, making him wish his sense of smell was human.

On the ride back to the lab, Warrick and Nick exchanged their usual post scene banter.

"Do anything exciting on your days off?" Warrick asked.

Nick fidgeted uncomfortably, but didn't say anything.

"Don't want to talk about it, then. That's fine," Warrick said letting the subject drop. He knew when not to push the other man. "What do you think of the new DNA tech?" he asked instead.

"He knows his field," Nick said after a moment. He could feel heat rising up his neck and into his face, and prayed Warrick wouldn't look over at him and notice.

"He's a bit of a goof ball, though. I think if Grissom'd had any say in the matter, Sanders wouldn't have been hired," Warrick commented, unaware of the sudden shift in Nick's mood.

"If it had been up to Grissom, he still would have hired Greg because he's a brilliant scientist. Grissom wouldn't avoid hiring someone because of their personality," Nick's voice was icy.

Hearing the note of anger in Nick's voice, Warrick glanced over at him, before returning his eyes to the road.

"Oh," Warrick said. His eyes widened as he said, "Oh. You and Sanders. He had the same days off as you." He'd known of Nick's sexual preferences nearly as long as he'd been friends with the other man.

With a sigh, Nick responded, "Yeah. Just don't spread it around. Greg's still in his probationary period, and I don't want to give Brass a reason to give him a hard time." Not that he truly thought Brass would do that. Brass was a great boss, much more understanding than Ecklie, from days.

"Don't worry. No one will hear it from me," Warrick replied, glancing at his friend again. "You want to go out for a beer, after shift? Maybe shoot some pool?"

"I'll have to double check that Greg doesn't have something planned, but it will probably be all right," Nick replied.

Back at the lab, Nick pulled all the trace and DNA evidence from the back of the Tahoe, leaving everything else for Warrick to take in and get started on.

Greg seemed to sense the moment Nick stepped into the building – and back into telepathic range – because Nick felt the gentle brush of Greg's mind against his, and heard a growled, _Missed you!_

Nick sent back an image of the two of them in wolf form, the brindled wolf submissively licking the lower jaw of the gray and white wolf.

A few minutes later, Nick was in the DNA lab, waiting for Greg – busy at the microscope – to acknowledge him.

Greg was taking his time, so Nick started to get antsy. In his mind, he created an image of himself sliding his arms around the younger man's waist, his lips placing soft kisses to the younger man's neck, his body pressing Greg's against the table.

He must have been projecting the image, because he suddenly received one back: Greg slamming him up against the shelving unit behind him, with a snarled, _Mind your place!_

Nick instantly knew he had been in the wrong. The image had been too dominant. His alpha had every reason to be mad at him. Closing his eyes, as he waited for Greg to round on him for real, Nick quickly apologized.

_I'll forget about it, this time,_ Greg replied, not looking up from the sample under the microscope.

When Greg finally finished his examination of the sample, he turned to Nick, an easy smile on his face. True to his word, he'd already forgotten about the incident. Holding out his hand, he accepted the swabs that Nick and Warrick had collected from their scene.

Before he turned to go, Nick quietly asked, "Do you mind if I go shoot some pool with Warrick, after shift?"

"I won't deny you time with your best friend. Have fun. I'll see you at home," Greg replied, sending Nick a mental caress that had the older man promising himself he wouldn't stay out too long.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Nick met Warrick at their preferred pool hall, the Q Stick. It was small enough and far enough from the Strip to be a friendly place to play. If money changed hands over a game, it was small stakes only.

While Warrick wracked up the balls on their usual table, Nick went to the bar to order their beers.

As he approached the bar, he took stock of the patrons occupying the barstools. Several men – leaning their backs against the bar so they could watch the pool tables – and a few women.

The bartender was currently serving one of the women – a woman who looked to be alone – so Nick walked up next to her to get the bartender's attention.

"Two bottled MGDs," he told the bartender, laying several bills on the bar.

"Hi, cowboy," the woman sitting next to Nick said, as she swivelled the stool around to face him.

"Ma'am," he replied in a friendly yet distant manner. A deep breath of her scent told Nick this was not a woman to be trifled with. She smelled of predator and arousal, not a combination he wanted anything to do with.

Picking up the two beers the bartender had set on the bar for him, Nick turned away. A hand groping his butt through his jeans made him stop in his tracks. Mortified, he nearly dropped the beers, but managed to recover quickly. Turning, he growled dangerously, "Do _not_ do that again!"

This seemed to be a challenge to the woman, though, because as Nick stalked off, she followed him. The hairs on the back of Nick's neck stood on end. This woman was going to be trouble.

She stopped several feet away, and waited until Nick handed Warrick his beer, and had taken a swig of his own.

Moving quickly, she slipped up behind him. Pressing herself against his back, she ran her hands up and down his chest, and purred in his ear.

Warrick seemed to think it was funny at first, until he saw the look on Nick's face.

Grabbing her hands and pushing her away, as her hands started to dip towards his waist line, Nick spun so he was facing the woman, anger evident on his face. "Look, lady!" he had to fight to keep his voice even, "Your advances are unwelcome! Unless you want a harassment charge filed against you, leave me alone!"

With a pout, the woman went back to the bar, where she continued to stare openly at Nick.

After several minutes of the woman's continued ogling, Nick said, "Sorry, Warrick, but I'm going home."

"No problem, man. See you tomorrow."

Setting his half full beer on the edge of the pool table, Nick stalked from the pool hall to his truck. He felt certain she would follow, but the woman seemed to have finally lost interest in him, so he made it to his truck unmolested.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Greg's nostrils flared at the strange scent the instant he opened the door to let Nick in.

Dropping his duffle bag on the floor, Nick toed off his work boots, not meeting Greg's eyes. He knew Greg could smell the predatory woman all over him, and while he didn't think Greg would blame him, he couldn't be completely certain what the alpha would do.

Greg carefully sniffed the strange scent that covered Nick, before he asked for the rest of the story. Nick let Greg see his memories of the woman.

With a growl, Greg pulled Nick to him. He wasn't angry, just desperate to make the world understand that Nick was his, to mark him for all to see.

_Mine!_ He howled, as he hurriedly stripped Nick's clothes from him, throwing the offending garments as far from them as he could before dealing with his own clothing. Greg decided that Nick's clothing would ultimately have to be disposed of.

Pushing Nick into the living area, Greg made Nick lean over the couch. There would be no foreplay, this time. Greg's need to claim Nick, and Nick's need to be claimed by Greg had become an all consuming fire in both men.

As Greg continued to howl his possession, Nick howled, _Yours!_ in response.

Driving into Nick, Greg possessed the older man, body and soul. Pressing back against Greg's chest, needing to get as close as he possibly could, Nick screamed Greg's name.

As Greg began to move inside of Nick, he bit down on Nick's right shoulder, marking him. Nick hissed at the pleasure-pain as blood welled from the holes Greg's canine teeth left.

Shuddering to climax, Greg licked the wound he'd caused, tasting coppery blood. The blood was already clotting, and soon even the small holes would be scars. Most injuries shape shifters endured healed without scarring. These would scar, though.

After riding out his own release, Nick pulled off of Greg and turned so they were facing each other, with Greg straddling his hips.

Greg stared at the holes on Nick's neck. He touched them hesitantly before reluctantly meeting Nick's eyes.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly. "I..." he trailed off.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Nick said, resting his forehead against Greg's.

"But, I hurt you," Greg faltered, fear in his eyes. "I don't ever want to hurt you."

"You're my alpha. Sometimes, you'll have to cause me pain to put me in my place." Laughing gently, Nick said, "I don't think this was one of those times, but if marking me will set your mind at ease that I'm yours, then I can take it." Nuzzling Greg's neck, Nick murmured, "I'm yours, forever and always."

Sighing, Greg pulled reluctantly away from Nick, as the older man yawned widely. "It's getting late. We should go to bed."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Greg had been sleeping peacefully against Nick, his arm draped across the older man's stomach, when he was pulled abruptly from sleep by the feel of cold steel closing around his wrists.

Loud voices and bright lights kept him disoriented for several minutes.

"What the hell! Let me go!" Nick's voice sank through Greg's disorientation, clearing the fog from his brain.

Twisting, Greg tried to free himself from the hands holding his upper arms.

"Keep a firm grip on them!" the order was shouted, "Don't let them shift!"

Greg's eyes met Nick's momentarily across the room, and Greg could see the fear in Nick's eyes. _They know what we are!_

Another set of hands clamped down on Greg's arms, making it impossible for him to struggle. He finally looked at the men holding Nick. Definitely some kind of military, but there were no distinguishing features or patches on the uniforms the men wore.

The instinct to shift and fight was becoming a nearly overwhelming urge – one that Greg had to fight off at all costs, since his hands were cuffed behind him. He would be even more helpless in his wolf form than he was now in his human form.

He sensed Nick's internal conflict and tried to send him reassuring thoughts.

"Hmm... Such lovely specimens," Greg focused on the woman who walked into the bedroom.

Nick's eyes widened, and Greg realized this was the woman from the pool hall.

"Who are you?" Greg asked dangerously.

"You are not permitted to ask questions," she replied sweetly, before back handing Greg hard enough to split his lip.

Spitting blood onto the floor before licking his split lip, Greg growled low in his throat. His lip was already beginning to heal.

"You will learn some manners!" she addressed Greg before pulling a syringe from her pocket, and approaching Nick.

Nick struggled, trying to pull away, but even his superior strength wasn't enough against two huge men, and handcuffs.

The woman snapped, "Hold him still!"

Greg lunged, trying to jerk away from the men still holding him. One shoved his elbow into Greg's gut, driving the air out of his lungs.

Desperately trying to draw a lung full of air, Greg could only watch, helplessly, as the woman uncapped the syringe and plunged it into Nick's arm.

Nick sagged between the men holding him, as he lost consciousness.

Approaching Greg, the woman pulled out another syringe. Soon, Greg followed Nick into oblivion.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Greg fought his way back to consciousness, his brain screaming at him that he was in danger, that his pack was in danger.

Overhead fluorescent lights stabbed into his eyes, causing him to squeeze them closed again.

Opening his eyes more slowly this time, he looked around.

The room was small, more cell than room. The only furnishings it held was the bed he was on, and a small flat screen tv mounted high in the corner nearest the door. The tv was currently off.

Except for the bed, this could have been one of the interview rooms at the police department, since one side of the room had an observation window. This side of the window was mirrored, making it impossible for Greg to see who was on the other side.

_Greg?_

Relief washed through Greg at Nick's mental touch. _I'm here. You okay?_

_I'm fine. Any idea what the hell is going on?_ At this point, Nick's mental touch was filled with more anger than fear.

_They know what we are. That's all I know._

The click clack of heels on linoleum reached Greg's ears a moment before the door knob turned.

Moving into a crouch on the bed, Greg waited for the door to open. He was prepared to shift and launch himself at whomever opened the door.

The woman who had sedated him walked in, a tranquilizer gun held before her. "Don't try it!" she snapped.

A growl rumbled out of Greg's chest, but he moved from his crouch into a seated position. If looks could have killed, the woman would have already been dead.

The door opened again and a man wearing a white lab coat came in carrying a blood draw kit. The man's lab coat had the name Dr. Bradley stitched on it.

Dr. Bradley was careful to keep out of the line of fire of the woman with the tranq gun as he approached Greg.

Still growling, Greg eyed Dr. Bradley dangerously, but didn't pull away as the doctor prepped a vein in his arm. He had no doubt the woman would sedate him if he resisted.

"Just a little blood. Something you've worked with many times as a DNA technician, I'm sure," Dr. Bradley said as he slid the needle into Greg's vein.

Greg's eyes widened in surprise at the personal knowledge Dr. Bradley possessed.

"You won't get away with this! We have friends who will come looking for us!"

"Don't worry, we've been doing this long enough to know how to cover our tracks. Even against crime scene investigators," the woman said this with a sneer on her face.

Greg couldn't cover up his surprised look fast enough.

"Don't look so surprised. We've been gathering up your kind for years. Satellite imagery has made it easier in recent years, though. We've had our eye on your friend, Nick, for some time, now. When you showed up in the desert with him, we decided it was time to pick him up. It's not often we find two males together."

Brushing off her statement, Greg tried something different, "Can I at least have some clothes?"

"Animals don't need clothes," the woman replied.

Greg burst out in laughter.

"You find that amusing?" the woman's face held an expression Greg couldn't quite decipher. He thought most of it was shock, as if she couldn't believe he wasn't scared of her.

"What I find amusing is the thought that I probably have a higher I.Q. than you, but you think I'm an animal," Greg responded, still laughing. Almost as quickly as his laughter started, it stopped. "What do you want with us?" his eyes bored into the woman's in challenge. She stared boldly back at him, refusing to back down.

"The perfect soldier. Stronger, heightened senses, rapid healing, able to shift into a wolf, and totally obedient."

Greg snorted, "Good luck with that last part!" In another fit of giggles, Greg said, "Oh, I know. Tie a raw steak around your neck, then we'll be happy to play with you!" He sent an image of that to Nick, causing the other man to break into a giggle fit as well.

The woman blinked, shocked at Greg's flippant attitude towards his situation.

Holding up several vials of Greg's blood, Dr. Bradley said, "I've got what I need, Dr. Barstow."

"Good, let's go see Nick," Dr. Barstow said, her eyes narrowing, as she knocked on the door behind her. Before it opened, Dr. Barstow said, "I know you've marked him, but have you mated him, yet?" Now Greg's eyes narrowed, but he didn't reply. She added, "If you don't cooperate, Nick will suffer."

A growl escaped Greg as he stood up. He didn't advance, as Dr. Barstow had raised the tranq gun again, but he snarled, "If you hurt Nick, I swear, I _will_ rip your throat out!"

The door opened and the two doctors exited the room. As soon as the door had closed behind them, Greg shifted and lunged futilely at the door. His front paws hit the door, claws scraping down the metal, taking paint with them. Snarls and growls echoed around him in the small space.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Nick found himself in a cell much the same as Greg's, with only one difference. Instead of a flat screen TV, there was a video recorder mounted high in the corner nearest the door.

There was no red light on it at the moment, so he knew it wasn't currently recording.

He'd followed Greg's side of the conversation with Dr. Barstow through the link, so he knew he'd been threatened, and he knew Dr. Bradley and Dr. Barstow were on their way to his cell.

The wolf inside him howled for release. It thought to slip past the doctors when the door was opened, and make a run for it. His rational mind squashed the thought, as he wouldn't be able to find Greg and free him with the doctors and guards in pursuit. No way in hell was he leaving here without his alpha.

When the door opened, he glared in barely restrained rage at the two doctors, as they entered.

Two burly guards followed the doctors in.

With a gesture from Dr. Barstow, the guards grabbed Nick.

Dr. Bradley approached Nick with something in his hands. The item was raised to Nick's neck, at which point he realized that it was a metal collar.

Once the collar was secured, and Dr. Bradley had drawn Nick's blood, the guards released him and left, Dr. Bradley following.

Looking at the observation window, Dr. Barstow said, "Activate the feed to Greg's cell." The light on the camera came on.

Pulling something from her pocket, Dr. Barstow held it up for Nick to see, then turned and held it up to the camera. It was a remote control of some kind. Still holding it up to the camera, she pressed a button on it.

Then she holstered the tranq gun at her hip.

Taking a step toward Nick, as he stared at her uncomprehendingly, she said, "Shift!"

Nick just sat there, certain that if he did shift, something bad was going to happen.

Dr. Barstow took another step toward Nick, screaming, "Shift!" She backhanded him this time, trying to enrage the wolf within.

When her hand raised to strike him again, Nick reacted, shifting in a heartbeat.

The pain was immediate and intense, and he howled in agony, falling to his side on the floor.

Dr. Barstow allowed the brindled wolf to write on the floor for nearly a full minute before she told him, "Shift back, and the pain will cease."

Nick shifted back, panting from where he still lay on the floor. Glaring up at the doctor, Nick reached for the collar.

"If you try to remove it, it will kill you," Dr. Barstow said, causing Nick's hands to fall away from the collar.

Turning towards the camera, she said, "That's just a taste of the pain he will suffer if you don't cooperate!" Then she knocked on the door and was gone.

_Nick! Talk to me!_ Greg's mental touch was full of worry.

Climbing onto the bed, Nick tried to steady his breathing. _I'll kill that bitch myself!_ he snarled, reassuring Greg that he was fine. _With my bare hands, if I have to!_ His hands itched to go to the collar that chafed his neck, but with great effort, he stilled them.

When the flat screen flashed to life, Greg shifted and sat back down on the bed.

He had been as confused by the collar as Nick had been, until he watched Dr. Barstow provoke Nick into shifting.

The tortured howls that came through both the TV speakers and the link ate at Greg's soul. Cradling his head in his hands, he tried to block out the sounds, as he screamed through the link, _Nick!_

The brindled wolf was in too much agony to hear him, though.

It wasn't until Nick had shifted back and the pain was subsiding that Greg had been able to reach him.

_Nick! Talk to me!_ Greg's worry flooded through the link to Nick.

_I'll kill that bitch myself!_ Nick's snarl reassured Greg that the older man was fine. Really pissed off, but fine. _With my bare hands, if I have to._

Greg could feel the chafing of the collar as if it were around his own neck, instead of around his pack mate's. He couldn't understand why he wasn't also wearing one of the cursed things.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I'd like to say a quick thank you to the people who have taken the time to review my story! I thrive on reviews, they make my world spin round!

This chapter is a bit on the long side. Had to let everyone know that the team is trying to find the boys. But will they succeed... Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out. evil grin

Chapter 12

Detective Vartann greeted Catherine Willows and Gil Grissom as they walked up the steps to the second story apartment of what had once been a warehouse.

"What have we got, Detective?" Grissom asked, looking past the detective at the door behind him.

"On the surface, not a lot. Neighbors heard some shouts around four p.m. They didn't think much of it, as it didn't last long, until they discovered the door opened around eleven. No real signs of a struggle. Bed's unmade in the bedroom."

"Do we have a name for the tenet?" Catherine asked.

"The mortgage is in the name of a Greg Sanders," Vartann replied, referring to his notebook.

Grissom and Catherine looked at each other, eyes going wide.

"What?" Vartann asked, confused.

"Greg's the new DNA tech at the lab, and he hasn't shown up for work tonight," Grissom explained.

Stepping past Vartann, into the doorway, Catherine shown her tactical flashlight around the entryway. It shown off of something silvery on the floor, catching Catherine's eye.

"Gil, Nick didn't show up for work tonight, either, did he," it was more a statement than a question, as she already knew the answer to that.

Stepping up beside Catherine, Grissom added his flashlight's beam to the spot Catherine's illuminated, and slowly said, "No..."

"That's Nick's kit," Catherine said softly, fear for her co-workers clenching her heart.

Grissom's flashlight continued to move across the entryway, stopping on two pairs of shoes – one a pair of heavy work boots, the others a pair of Convers. The Convers were set neatly side by side against the wall. The work boots had been discarded where they'd been removed. Near the work boots was a dark colored duffle bag.

Pulling on a pair of gloves, Grissom knelt down next to the duffle bag and unzipped it. Clothing and toiletries were packed neatly inside.

"Those are Nick's clothes," Catherine remarked from over Grissom's shoulder, as she recognized several of the Texan's favorite shirts.

"Sleepover?" Grissom postulated with a raised eyebrow.

Straightening up again, Grissom shown his light around the dark apartment. The space was so large, the flashlight couldn't fully penetrate the darkness.

"Let's take a look around, then we'll pull out the ALS. Vartann said there was nothing visible to the naked eye, that doesn't mean there's nothing here." Grissom suited actions to words, moving a few more steps into the apartment.

As he moved through the large space, Grissom thought to himself that the apartment suited the charismatic young DNA tech. With the wide open layout, there was plenty of room for the energetic, high strung man to move around in.

"Vartann's right, nothing visibly out of place or disturbed," Catherine reported several minutes later, after completing her half of the circuit. "I'll go get the ALS units. You want to start out here and I'll start in the bedroom?"

"Sure," Grissom replied absently, pulling his radio from his vest. "Any sign of Nick's or Greg's vehicles in the parking lot, Vartann?"

"Hmm... Not sure. Can you have Archie pull make and model from their PD parking permit applications?" Vartann responded a moment later.

"I'll radio in and have him get right on it."

Grissom was finishing up on the radio with Archie as Catherine came in carrying the portable, yet still bulky, ALS machines.

Handing one of the machines to Grissom, Catherine picked her kit up and lugged the other ALS to Greg's bedroom. Putting on the amber colored glasses, she switched the machine on and began to methodically sweep it across the room.

She'd known the DNA tech for a little over a week at this point, and she thought the bedroom's decor seemed to fit the wacky young man.

Several glowing splotches on the dark carpet near the corner of the bed caught her eye.

Pulling a swab from her vest, she swirled the tip through the largest of the splotches, then switched off the ALS for a moment so she could test the swab for blood.

Her fears were confirmed a moment later when the tip of the swab turned purple after she applied the chemical. With a sigh, she closed the swab's end cap, put it in a box, and labeled it. Either day or swing shifts' DNA tech would have to find out who the blood belonged to.

Picking up the ALS again, Catherine continued her search of the room.

The bed showed evidence of sexual activity, so she took several swabs from that, as well.

Once she'd processed the bathroom and closet, she headed back to the main part of the apartment to help Grissom.

Grissom looked up from the sectional, "Find anything?"

"Evidence of blood on the bedroom floor, and sexual activity in the bed. That's it, though," Catherine sighed. "How about you?"

"Evidence of sexual activity on the couch, too, but nothing else."

Vartann stuck his head in the doorway, "Archie just got back to me on make and model for Nick's truck and Greg's SUV. They're both in the lot outside."

Catherine looked to Grissom with wide, frightened eyes. "What's happened to them, Gil?"

Pulling his radio out, Grissom called Warrick.

"Yo, Griss, what's up?" came the near instantaneous response.

"Warrick, Nick and Greg are missing. I need you to come process their cars," he finished by rattling off Greg's address.

Worry coloring his tone, Warrick replied, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Grissom, curious at Warrick's lack of comment on the fact that Nick had been with Greg, resolved to ask him about it later. Putting his radio away again, he looked at Catherine. "Let's finish with the ALS, then we're going to dust every inch of this place for prints. We'll find them!"

Grissom and Catherine were printing the apartment when Warrick arrived.

"Griss, Cath. Anything?" Warrick worriedly asked.

Grissom straightened from his hunched position in front of the entertainment center and moved over to Warrick.

"Warrick, do you know why Nick was here? You didn't sound surprised when I mentioned Nick's truck was here," Grissom asked the younger CSI quietly.

Warrick fiddled with the keys to Nick's truck, which sat at the end of the long breakfast bar next to Greg's keys. "I promised him I wouldn't say anything to anyone," he started, meeting Grissom's gaze momentarily before dropping his eyes to the keys again. "Under the circumstances, though..." he trailed off for a moment. "He and Greg are involved."

"Involved... You mean romantically," it wasn't a question, but Warrick nodded his head anyway. "It can't have been going on long. Greg's only been with the lab for a little over a week."

"A few days," Warrick confirmed. "They hooked up on their last days off."

"Okay. Thank you for telling me this. Go start processing their vehicles. We need to create a time line of their movements for the last few days. Whatever happened may stem from something that happened a few days ago."

"I'll get right on it," Warrick assured the older CSI, scooping up the two sets of keys and heading for the parking lot. He prayed this his best friend and the young DNA tech were okay.

Warrick decided to start with Nick's Chevy 1500, mostly because he knew it was Nick's and he wasn't sure what Greg drove.

The black extended cab truck had a hard top cover on the back, enclosing the truck's bed. The usually immaculate truck had a thin layer of dust turning the black paint to more of a dark gray.

Remembering what Grissom had said about establishing a time line of where Nick and Greg had been, Warrick took a sample of the dust. Perhaps trace could find some distinguishing characteristic that would tell them where the two men had been. He also looked over the tires, to see if there might be any rocks, or other large detritus stuck in the treads, that might narrow their search.

Finally unlocking the truck, Warrick shown his tactical flashlight around the interior. He noticed more of the same dust, and a piece of paper on the floor boards. Picking up the paper in a glove encased hand, he turned it to study. It was a receipt for gas, dated two days ago, at a gas station on Alamo Road.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Greg wasn't sure how much time had passed. He thought it had to be at least a few days, but it could have been less, or more. The lights in his cell were never turned off, and he hadn't been fed anything. His stomach growled a protest at the thought of food. He had been given a bowl of water, which had been refilled several times.

He knew Nick was being fed, as the link clearly transmitted the older man's distaste at the dog food consistency mush.

_I won't eat if you don't get to eat, too,_ Nick had told him the first time the bowl of food had been delivered. _Besides, this stuff is disgusting!_ the heavy Texan accent had made Greg laugh.

_Disgusting or not, you have to eat. Keep your strength up,_ Greg had replied, sensing he was going to have to use his alpha status to make Nick comply.

_I won't be treated like an animal!_ Nick snarled in response.

Greg sent an image of his wolf self crouched over top of the brindled wolf, his mouth around Nick's neck, forcing the older wolf's head down to his paws. _You will eat!_

Grudgingly, the urge to gag heavy in the link, Nick had picked up the bowl and begun to eat.

_She may treat us like animals, but that doesn't mean we have to act like animals,_ Greg had sent more gently through the link, after letting the image of the two wolves fade away.

Shortly after Nick had finished eating, Dr. Barstow had entered his cell again.

The flat screen TV in Greg's cell came to life. Dr. Barstow stood with her back to the cell door, the remote to Nick's collar held loosely in her hand. She hadn't even bothered to bring the tranq gun, this time.

Nick stood, the bowl his "meal" had been delivered in clenched in his right hand, anger clear on his face.

A smile spread across Dr. Barstow's face as Nick began to close the distance between them.

If Greg had been in wolf form, his hackles would have been standing straight up. He didn't like the look on Dr. Barstow's face.

_Nick!_ Greg tried to get the older man to back off, but Nick continued forward. Through the TV's speakers, Greg could here Nick's rumbling growl.

When Nick had covered half the distance to the doctor, she pushed a button on the remote.

Nick's growl changed to a sharp cry of pain, as he fell to his knees. His hands clawed futilely at the collar around his neck, the bowl falling to the floor, forgotten.

What felt like a lifetime past, as Greg could do nothing but watch, helpless, as his pack mate was subjected to intense pain. Finally, Dr. Barstow released the button, and Nick sagged in relief, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

Taking Nick's chin in a cruel grip, Dr. Barstow forced his head up, so he was looking at her. "Your manners are as bad as Greg's, but you will learn to behave." Holding the remote up in front of Nick's face, she continued, "By the end of your training, you will respond to my commands without this."

Nick had finally recovered enough to glare at Dr. Barstow. "Not likely, bitch!"

The back of Dr. Barstow's left hand connected with enough force to Nick's face to spin Nick's head to the side.

Lunging at her from his kneeling position, Nick actually managed to get his hands around her neck a split second before Dr. Barstow got her finger on the remote button again.

When the pain hit, Nick desperately tried to keep his grip on her throat, but Dr. Barstow was able to pry his hands away and push Nick to the floor.

As Nick fell, he caught a glimpse of Dr. Barstow's face, and felt the satisfaction of seeing the first trace of fear in her eyes.

Greg had been forced to watch similar events over the last however long they'd been there. Dr. Barstow either deliberately goaded the wolf in Nick, or just pushed the button on the remote. She was doing her utmost to make Nick afraid of her.

It wasn't working, though. If anything, Nick was just getting more pissed off at her.

Each time, just before she left, while Nick was still writhing on the floor in pain, Dr. Barstow would look up at the video recorder and say, "You can end his pain, Greg."

The last time this happened, Greg threw himself against the observation window hard enough to shake the glass. He pounded on it, screaming, "What the hell do you want! How can I cooperate, if I don't know what you want!"

Tears of frustration and grief over Nick's pain threatened to fall, but Greg kept them carefully in check. He was the alpha male of his pack. He couldn't show weakness.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It had been nearly a week since Nick and Greg had disappeared.

The team knew from the gas receipt in Nick's truck, and the dust on both men's vehicles, that they had gone into the desert. But they didn't know exactly where, or why.

Archie was trying to remedy that. He had a friend in Army Intelligence with access to a surveillance satellite.

Archie held his cell phone in the crook of his neck while he tapped a few buttons on his keyboard.

"Yeah, I got it... A hundred mile radius around the station should be sufficient... Allowing us a three hour window from the time stamp on the receipt, got it... Yeah... Yeah... I owe you one... Thanks, Mike."

Once he'd hung up his phone, Archie let out a triumphant whoop, as the photos from the satellite where being sent from the Army Intel server.

The satellite took extremely high quality pictures at ten second intervals, then put them together into a video, allowing for extremely close in zooming.

Pushing a few commands in, Archie zoomed in on the gas station on Alamo Road where Nick had purchased gas two days before disappearing into thin air with Greg.

Quickly spotting Nick's truck, Archie began to follow it as it headed further down Alamo Road. It turned off onto Cow Camp Road, where it continued past the end point of that road onto unpaved, unmarked roads.

Between one frame and the next, the truck had stopped and Nick was now leaning against the front fender.

The next frame showed Greg's SUV had pulled up beside Nick's truck.

Archie's heart skipped a beat when the next frame came up. Pausing the video, he fumbled with his cell phone. It took him two tries to properly punch in Brass's number.

Without waiting for Brass to speak, Archie said, "Boss, I've got something you're going to want to see."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Several minutes after Greg's outburst against the observation window, the door to his cell opened, and Dr. Barstow walked in.

She hadn't bothered to bring the tranq gun, and Greg guessed she probably realized how unsteady he was becoming from low blood sugar. His outburst had sapped what little strength he had, leaving him as weak as a new born wolf cub.

He was sitting on the bed, the only thing keeping him from toppling over was the wall – under the observation window – he was leaning against.

"What do you want from us... from me," he asked weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That's very simple, really. I want the wolf. I want his loyalty!"

Greg sucked in a sharp breath, "Never!"

"Give me your loyalty, and you will have every wolf in this facility in your pack. You will have Nick. I won't stop you from taking him as your mate."

The wolf in Greg snarled, clawing for freedom, ready to lunge at Dr. Barstow's throat. In his weakened state, Greg could barely control it, didn't want to control it, but did.

"You don't know what you're asking!" he ground out between clenched jaws.

"Oh, but I do. As the alpha male of the pack, if you give your loyalty, you give the entire pack's loyalty. Your pack would be loyal to me until I die, or another alpha male takes your place."

_Greg, what's going on? What's she talking about?_ Nick's confusion and an edge of fear flooded the link.

Greg ignored Nick, intent on Dr. Barstow. Pulling himself up straight with an effort, he repeated, "Why me?"

"Because you are the strongest alpha male we have ever encountered," Dr. Barstow responded, taking a step toward Greg.

"But, Nick..." Greg began, only to be cut off by Dr. Barstow.

"Nick isn't alpha material. I've watched him long enough. He seeks the approval of his superiors at the crime lab. But you, Greg... You easily overpowered him in your fight for dominance. And what did you do when he came home with my scent all over him?" She paused for a moment, watching Greg with a calculating look on her face. Lowering her voice to a dramatic whisper, she went on, "He subconsciously knew I'm an alpha personality, and he wanted me to dominate him, so you would stake your claim when he got home."

"You're not helping your case," Greg growled dangerously. As the thought of this woman's scent all over _his_ Nick crossed his mind, the need to renew his claim was becoming a burning desire.

As Nick caught the direction of Greg's thoughts through the link, he let out a needy whimper, his own body responding.

"Looks like you're making the case all on your own," Dr. Barstow smiled wickedly as Greg uncomfortably shifted on the bed, pulling a sheet over himself. The thin material did little to hide his painfully hard erection from the doctor.

Stepping back toward the door again, Dr. Barstow said, "Think about it, Greg. You'd have everything you've ever wanted. It really isn't too high a price." She was gone a moment later.

Sensing the direction of Greg's thoughts, Nick said, _Everything but our freedom._

A small smile settled on Greg's face, _I think I have a plan that will get us that, as well._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Brass stared at the computer screen in disbelief. "How the hell can that one small section of desert be considered Top Secret? Especially when we could see it clearly one frame ago!" He felt like sweeping the whole workstation to the floor, but that wouldn't solve anything, so instead he stood and began to pace.

Archie watched his supervisor, helpless to explain what was on his screen. He'd allowed the video to continue playing. The screen was black, with the words "Top Secret" printed across it in white. This continued for several more frames before shifting back to a view of the desert and the two vehicles. Now, Nick and Greg were no longer there. After several minutes of scrolling through the desert around the vehicles, there was still no sign of the two men.

The only life anywhere near the two vehicles were what Archie thought were two large coyotes about a mile away. He figured they'd been startled out of hiding by the arrival of first Nick's truck, then Greg's SUV.

"Well, we know that's not where they disappeared from. They both came in to work Thursday night," Brass commented a moment later.

"It's probably some kind of glitch in the satellite," Archie replied.

Down the hall, Catherine was on the hunt for Grissom. She clutched several printouts in her hand, and had a confused look on her face.

She finally found him in the break room, taking a careful sip of the sludge that passed for coffee. A couple of the lab techs were also there, forcing down their own cups of coffee.

"Catherine?" Grissom asked, making Catherine realize she'd been standing and staring at him for a moment.

"Oh, yeah. Griss, can I talk to you?"

Grissom raised an eyebrow curiously, but didn't say anything.

"In private," she went on. "Your office, maybe?"

Nodding, Grissom took his coffee cup with him and followed Catherine to his office.

Closing the door behind himself, Grissom made his way to his desk, where he sank gratefully into his chair.

"We got back the DNA results for the blood and semen from Greg's apartment," Catherine began.

"Why was this something you felt the need for privacy to disclose?" Grissom asked, the curious look still on his face.

"I'll get to that in a minute," Catherine assured him. "First, the blood on the bedroom floor was actually a mixture of blood and saliva. It matched exemplars I recovered from Greg's toothbrush."

"Hmm... Hit or punched in the mouth?"

"He wasn't hit hard enough to leave cast off. He spit the blood onto the floor. Also," Catherine paused and cleared her throat in embarrassment, "the semen matched exemplars from Nick's toothbrush." She waited for a reaction from Grissom, but all he did was blink owlishly.

"Is that all?" he finally asked.

"No," Catherine drew the word out for a moment, as if unsure how to continue. Finally, "There's something... off about their DNA, Griss."

"Off? What do you mean?"

Catherine offered Grissom the printout she'd been clutching.

Grissom took the offered paper. Looking over it, he raised an eyebrow as he said, "This can't be right."

"The tech ran it twice, Griss."

"Who else knows about this?"

"Just the tech, you, and me."

"This doesn't go any farther!" Grissom said, glancing over the top of his glasses at Catherine.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Nick had to fight the urge to physically recoil from the image in his head. He'd know this was coming. It was all part of the plan. The wolf in him didn't see it that way, though. He was being driven away. The white and gray wolf chasing the brindled wolf from the pack.

The sudden silence in his head was deafening. Over the past week, Nick had become accustomed to and even dependant upon Greg's presence in his mind.

With that mental touch gone, Nick wanted to curl up in a ball and cry like a baby.

He couldn't do that, though. If his watchers or Dr. Barstow noticed a change in him, she wouldn't remove the collar from his neck once Greg gave her his loyalty.

Greg's entire plan revolved around Nick getting free of the damn collar, so he could shift. Shift and rip Dr. Barstow's throat out. The wolf was looking forward to that.

Fighting to maintain his composure, Nick tried to imagine what was happening at this moment. Greg had told him that as soon as he declared his loyalty to Dr. Barstow, she'd take him to a fenced in enclosure with the rest of the shape shifters.

In the enclosure, Greg would bring all the wolves into the pack. Once that was done, Dr. Barstow would bring Nick to Greg, confident that Nick was firmly under her control, through Greg.

Some time later, the door opened and Dr. Barstow walked in.

"Come here, Nick," she pointed to a spot on the floor in front of her.

Nick stood and moved to the indicated spot, keeping his eyes downcast for fear that she would see the murderous glint in his eyes.

When Dr. Barstow pulled the remote from her pocket, Nick had to suppress a flinch. The doctor pushed the button she'd pushed when the collar had first been put in place, and reached behind Nick's neck to release the collar.

With her throat mere inches from his face, the wolf fought for control, but Nick forced it down. He had to get out of this room before he shifted, or this whole plan would be for naught. Once he had gained his freedom, he could free Greg and the others.

The door opened, and Nick followed the doctor into the hall. He glanced both ways, noting the absence of anyone else in the long hallway. Doors lined both sides of the hall. His door was the fourth from the end on the left, and it appeared that the hallway continued around a corner to the right at that end of the hall. The other end of the hall ended at an elevator, and there were about six doors between his door and the elevator.

Dr. Barstow walked down the hallway in the direction of the elevator, stopping in front of the second door from Nick's.

Nick had fallen a few paces back from Dr. Barstow, so he would have room to shift and lunge.

As Dr. Barstow pushed the door opened, she turned back toward Nick, mouth opening to say something. She never got the chance.

The brindled wolf's paws hit her chest, throwing her backwards, partially into Greg's cell. His teeth were at her throat, snapping and tearing. The coppery scent of blood filled the air, along with gurgled screams and the crunch of bone.

A rising growl filled the air, changing from rage to a low warning as life deserted Dr. Barstow. If Nick hadn't been as quick as he had, Greg would have attacked him to protect his master.

With Dr. Barstow dead, Greg was now back in control of himself and the pack. The gray and white wolf recognized that at this moment, Nick wasn't part of the pack, thus the low warning growl.

The brindled wolf, muzzle and chest dark with blood, backed warily out of Greg's cell, stepping over the dead doctor's body.

Approaching slowly, the gray and white wolf lowered his muzzle to sniff at the dead woman. Sneezing to clear his nasal passages of her stink, he leapt gracefully over her body, landing several paces in front of Nick.

On his belly, head almost laying on his paws, Nick began to creep forward. A needy whine escaped his throat, as he met Greg's eyes.

_Need. Please!_ Nick suddenly found himself unable to utter more than a few words, as he was overcome with panic that Greg wouldn't take him back into the pack.

He had reached Greg, their front paws nearly touching. Stretching his muzzle out, Nick licked at Greg's paws and chest, whining with longing.

Then Greg was leaning down, his head nuzzling Nick's in acceptance.

Nick released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, as he felt Greg's familiar mental touch in his mind again. There were others, too, almost too many to count, but not overwhelming in the least. They all let out a joyful howl in his head, before Greg cut them off.

_Introductions can wait till later. We have to get out of here._

_Shouldn't we destroy the information they have on us?_ Nick wanted to know, fearful that someone might come after them again.

_I found out a few things from the "good doctor," after I gave her our loyalty._ The last was said with a shudder that sent ripples through the gray and white wolf's fur.

Nick leaned against Greg with a whine, and a soft, _You did what you had to do to get us all out of this hell hole!_

Greg pulled away and snorted, _For all her bluster, Dr. Barstow really doesn't know much about our kind. And,_ he paused for dramatic effect, _she's losing her funding. She has the two guards who held you to put the collar on, but that's it. Dr. Bradley is her only research scientist left._

Standing, Greg padded to the elevator at the end of the hallway, claws clicking on the linoleum. Not pausing to look back, he said, _Coming? Everyone else is already topside, waiting for us._

_How did..._ Nick trailed off, as Greg had already caught the gist of his question.

_She was so confident her control over me... us... was absolute, she didn't bother to lock the cell doors when she made us return to our cells,_ Greg snorted. He shifted when he reached the elevator doors, so he could push the call button.

By this time, Nick had caught up to him, and shifted nearly simultaneously with Greg.

As they waited for the elevator – which had been at the top of the shaft – Greg turned towards the older man. He reached up and trailed his fingers over the small scars on Nick's shoulder, his mark. His Nick.

A delicious shudder ran through Nick's body at the contact.

Greg's fingers trailed from the mark up to Nick's cheek.

Pressing his cheek into the palm of Greg's hand, Nick let out a low whine.

"When we get out of this, and the pack is safe, I'm taking you as my mate." Greg spoke aloud to give them a sense of privacy. There was so much they didn't know about their kind, he was certain there had to be a way of conducting private mental conversations in such a large pack, but they didn't know how it was done. It would take time to figure out those types of things.

Nick sighed at the statement. It had clearly been a statement, not a question. It didn't need to be a question. Not when every fiber of his being wanted the exact same thing. Had wanted it since he first caught Greg's scent back at the crime lab. He could sooner stop the Earth from orbiting the sun as deny his feelings for Greg.

As the elevator doors dinged and slowly began to open, a shout and pounding footsteps rang out from the other end of the hall, "Hey! What are you two doing out of your cells!" It was followed a second later by a curse, as the guard spotted Dr. Barstow's body.

As the guard drew his gun, Nick shoved Greg into the opening elevator, then spun towards the guard, shifting as he went.

Greg's wordless shout failed to stop Nick's headlong plunge. Throwing himself to all fours from the position he'd fallen, Greg shifted and charged down the hallway after his mate, growling and snarling as he watched the guard's gun take aim in horror.

The gun shot was deafening in the narrow hallway. Nick's yelp of pain pierced Greg to his core. Nick fell bonelessly to his side on the floor.

Teeth gnashing in fury, Greg leapt past Nick's limp form, straight at the guard.

Survival instinct cause the guard to drop the gun and raise his hands to protect his throat and face.

Greg landed on the guard, pushing him to the floor. The guard's screams were short lived as Greg tore him apart. In his mind, Greg was screaming, _Nick! Answer me!_

He could sense the rest of the pack, milling about in confusion and fear, but nothing from Nick.

Unable to remember how he got from the guard's lifeless body, much less shifting, Greg found himself at the brindled wolf's side.

Blood was pooling under the huge beast's shoulder. With each beat of the wolf's great heart, more blood joined the pool, causing it to expand.

_Still alive! Still alive!_ Greg chanted to himself, placing his hands over the bullet hole in Nick's lupine shoulder. Pressing on it with all his might, he tried to stem the flow.

_Find a phone!_ he commanded of his pack. _Call for an ambulance!_ It could have been his imagination, but he thought the blood flow was slowing. This meant that either Nick had lost too much blood and was dying, or his body was already beginning to repair the damage.

A moment later, Greg was relieved to see Nick's amber eyes open. They were dull with pain, but they were open. _Shit! That hurts!_ he said quietly.

_You're an idiot, you know that?_ Greg asked affectionately, relieved that Nick was conscious again. Part of his tone also suggested a reprimand to come later on. "Can you shift? We still need to get topside, and you're too heavy for me to carry."

With a howl of pain, Nick managed to shift. With Greg's help, he was on his feet and stumbling back to the elevator.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Grissom," his standard phone greeting rolled off his tongue, even as curiosity at the unknown number on the caller I.D. ate at him.

"Griss," the quiet, pain filled voice of his missing CSI washed through Grissom.

"Nick! Where the hell have you been! Do you know how worried we've been about you? Is Greg with you?" Questions tumbled out of Grissom's mouth in an uncharacteristic flood.

"Griss! I need you to listen to me!" Nick had to raise his voice to cut his supervisor off. "I need you to find a bus. Trace this number, bring the bus and clothing for about twenty-five people. I'll leave the phone with Elliot. Greg put him in charge. Greg's riding to the hospital with me. Desert Palm."

The phone was past off to someone else, presumably Elliot, so Grissom couldn't talk to Nick anymore.

Grissom raced from his office, nearly running Catherine down in his hurry to get to the A/V lab.

"Gil?" Catherine asked, as she turned to move with him. There was only one reason he'd be moving that fast. He had information about Nick and Greg.

"Take Warrick and head over to Desert Palm. Nick and Greg should be there soon. Take some clothes for them. I've gotta have Archie trace this and find a bus."

The blood drained from Catherine's face at the mention of the hospital, but she charged off to find Warrick.

Catherine and Warrick beat the ambulance to the hospital by a good half hour to forty-five minutes.

They could only stand there and watch as the paramedics pushed Nick through to the E.R. He was conscious, which gave them some hope that he wasn't badly hurt.

Greg walked in after them, staying out of the way. He was dressed in a pair of paramedics coveralls.

"Greg!" Catherine shouted joyfully, rushing over to him. "What happened? Where have you been?"

Catherine thought Greg must have been in shock. He stood there, staring at the E.R. doors, a far away look on his face.

She didn't think he realized he was speaking out loud when he said, "They're taking him into surgery, now."

Since no doctor had come out to speak with them yet, she wondered how he could know that. She shrugged it off, though, as she put a hand on his arm, trying to get his attention.

She recoiled as Greg turned on her, a snarl on his lips and a feral look in his eyes. Then he blinked, as he suddenly seemed to remember where he was.

"Oh, God! Catherine, I'm sorry!" he blurted, then spun and fled outside.

Warrick turned to go after him, but Catherine put up a hand to stop him. "No. Let me go talk to him. He's just scared for Nick." She knew that wasn't entirely it, though.

The automatic doors slid open, at Catherine's approach, sending a blast of warm air into the E.R. as she walked outside. She found Greg around the corner, sitting on the ground against the wall.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked quietly.

She didn't expect him to meet her gaze, but he did. Embarrassment colored his cheeks crimson.

Taking that as an invitation, Catherine slid down the wall to sit beside him.

"Greg, does what happened have anything to do with the..." she trailed off, looking for the right word, "irregularities in your DNA?"

Greg's head snapped back up, and his nostrils flared, "What irregularities?"

"You and Nick both have some very pronounced mutations to several of your markers," Catherine told him.

One of Greg's eyebrows arched. "What kind of mutations?"

"Mutations that exactly match wolf DNA," Catherine explained, watching Greg's face intently for his reaction.

Greg sucked in a breath. "How... how many people at the lab know?"

"Just the day shift DNA tech who ran your samples, myself, and Grissom."

A look of panic crossed Greg's features.

"You don't have to worry. We would never tell anyone else!"

Greg gave her a small smile of thanks.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Greg made his way through his crowded apartment towards the door. Twenty-five people in one apartment, even one with an open floor plan like this, made for a crowded space. He was overjoyed to have his pack, but they were going to have to take a serious look at living arrangements.

The wide smile on his face changed to a guarded look when he opened the door to find Grissom standing on his doorstep.

"Grissom," he nodded in greeting to the older man.

"Greg," Grissom replied, his eyes focusing behind Greg on the crowded, but suddenly silent apartment behind him.

Greg knew the rest of the pack had picked up his unease. He could sense Nick threading his way through the crowd to stand behind him.

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?" Grissom asked quietly, in as unthreatening a manner as he could. He had an idea of what had happened at the Army facility these people had been held at. If he was right, then every single person in that apartment would be willing to trade their own life for Greg's, or even kill for him.

"Sure. Come in," Greg stepped aside to admit the veteran CSI.

Grissom stepped inside, but said, "I was hoping to speak to you privately."

Nodding at Nick, Grissom returned his attention to Greg, trying to suppress a shudder at the fierce look on Nick's face.

"Anything you need to talk to me about can be said in front of them," Greg said mildly, trying to diffuse his own tension so the rest of the pack would calm as well.

"Sure," Grissom said uncertainly. "Doc Robbins ruled the deaths of Dr. Barstow and the security guard as wild animal attacks. The evidence," he placed an odd emphasis on the word evidence, "corroborates the coroner's findings."

Greg knew Grissom was too smart not to put the pieces together. Grissom had to know that it was one of the people in this apartment who had killed Dr. Barstow and the guard, yet he was protecting them.

"Wild animal attacks, Grissom?" he asked with an arched brow.

Raising an eyebrow of his own, Grissom replied mildly, "Possibly a bear, or cougar, but most definitely _not_ a wolf. I don't think we'll ever know exactly how it got into the facility." Lowering his voice slightly, Grissom continued, "If you need help with anything for your... pack, let me know."

As Grissom turned back toward the door, Greg called after him, "Thank you, Griss! See you at work!"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

A week passed before things were settled enough with the pack for Greg to feel comfortable leaving them to go up into the mountains for a run.

None of them would ever feel comfortable shifting under an open sky again. In the mountains, they would have the cover of trees.

On the home front, every member of the pack was beginning the process of rebuilding their lives. Three males and two females – the first to be taken, though not all together – had been at the facility for five years, so they would have the most difficulty getting things such as driver's licences renewed and such.

Every one of the pack would begin to look for jobs, just as soon as they had the proper forms of I.D. Which was a good thing, since it was going to get quite expensive to feed and clothe them all.

On top of that, there was the issue of living arrangements. Greg had a couple of ideas regarding that. There was no question that everyone in the pack wanted to stay fairly close together, but they all deserved their own space, too. Especially since there were already a couple of mated pairs, and it looked like a few more were working towards mating.

Now, he and Nick, along with three other pack members were up in the mountains, going for a run.

Greg had sent the other three on, and they had obeyed without question. By now, everyone in the pack knew that Nick was to be Greg's mate.

Nick's shoulder was fully healed, not even a scar to show where the bullet had entered. The E.R. surgeons at Desert Palm had removed the bullet and given him a couple of pints of blood, and Nick's body had done the rest.

Tongue lolling out of his mouth, Nick raced alongside Greg. They ran so closely that their fur brushed lightly together, sending electric tingles through their bodies.

After several miles, Greg slowed, and still Nick kept pace with him. It was nearing the deepest part of the night, under a canopy of trees, but their lupine eyes drew in the ambient light making the forest seem bright as day.

When they'd come to a stop, Nick plopped his lupine butt down on the layer of pine needles that covered the forest floor.

Greg ast next to him, draping his head across Nick's broad shoulders. They sat like that for several minutes.

Applying gentle pressure to Nick's shoulders, Greg pushed Nick down until the older wolf was laying with his head on his paws.

Moving so he was standing over the brindled wolf, Greg licked the black and brown fur of Nick's neck. A low whine escaped Nick, as he anticipated what was to come.

_This is probably going to hurt,_ Greg said as he continued to lick at Nick's neck fur. _We'll be locked together for a while, too. Just remember, I love you!_

_Please, Greg! Want you in me! Love you so much!_

Grabbing a mouthful of Nick's scruff fur to keep him still, Greg plunged into the brindled wolf, and began to move inside him.

As they became locked together, they let out a simultaneous howl of pure love and joy.

It was well past the witching hour and into what had aptly been termed the hour of the wolf when the five wolves, two newly mated, began the run back to Greg's SUV.

A/N: Well, here's to the end of another story! I really hoped you enjoyed it. As ever, please be sure and click that little button down below and leave me a review.

Keep on the lookout for future stories from me. I've got a couple in mind, one's a one shot loosely titled Pictures or In Pictures, and the other is going to be a chapter story called Remember Me.


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